Vehicle Mini Lamp

ABSTRACT

A low profile vehicle lamp assembly includes a housing having a top end, body with an interior portion and a lens portion covering the top end. The housing is adapted to fit within an opening in a surface such that the lens portion is substantially flush with the surface and the body is positioned behind the surface. In addition, circuitry is disposed within the interior portion of the housing and at least one light source is electrically connected to the circuitry.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/077,919, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,524, and U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/645,091, incorporated herein in theirentirety. The present application is a continuation of application Ser.No. 12/645,091.

FIELD OF THE APPLICATION

The application relates generally to vehicular lights. Moreparticularly, a lamp and assembly for vehicles disclosed and claimeduses light emitting diodes as a light source, is small, has a lowprofile, and satisfies SAE and FMVSS photometric requirements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is back view of a typical vehicle in which the positioning of aplurality of one embodiment of the vehicle mini lamps can be seen.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the vehicle mini lamp according to oneembodiment.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show cross-sectional views of one embodiment of theelectrical components of the vehicle mini lamp.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of one embodiment of an attachmentmember.

FIG. 5 shows a top perspective view of the vehicle mini lamp with someof the electrical components assembled within the housing according toone embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view of the vehicle mini lamp with someof the electrical components assembled within the housing and analternate embodiment of the attachment member according to an alternateembodiment of the vehicle mini lamp.

FIG. 7 shows some of the various possible positions on a vehicle wherethe vehicle mini lamp can be positioned.

FIG. 8A shows a top perspective view of one embodiment of a mountingstructure on which the vehicle mini lamp is mounted in a vehicle minilamp system.

FIG. 8B shows a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of amounting structure with one vehicle mini lamp affixed thereto.

FIG. 9 shows one embodiment of a splitter assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the vehicle mini lamp,references are made in the text hereof to embodiments of a vehicle minilamp and assembly, only some of which are illustrated in the drawings.It is nevertheless understood that no limitations to the scope of theembodiments are thereby intended. One of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate that modifications such as the shape and materials ofthe components, the positioning of the components, the color of the LEDor lens, and the number of vehicle mini lamps do not depart from thespirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. Some of these possiblemodifications are mentioned in the following description. Furthermore,in the embodiments depicted, like reference numerals refer to identicalstructural elements in the various drawings.

The embodiments of the vehicle mini lamp that are disclosed herein aredesigned to satisfy the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standards.SAE Standards J592e (7/72) and J592 (8/00) specify certain photometricrequirements, including luminous intensity requirements, for side markerlamps; SAE Standards J2042 (6/96), J2042 (3/00), and J2042 (3/03)specify certain photometric requirements for clearance, side marker, andidentification lamps; SAE Standard J578c (2/77) specifies certainchromaticity requirements for color. All of these SAE Standards are allmet by the vehicle mini lamp as disclosed herein.

The Department of Transportation (DOT), in its Federal Motor VehicleSafety Standards, 49 C.F.R. §571.108 (2000), or “FMVSS 108,” regulatesall lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment. FMVSS 108 canbe found at www.nhtsadot.gov and is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety. DOT Standard 1383 (part of FMVSS108) adopts the Society ofAutomotive Engineers (SAE) Standard J592 (July 1972 and August 2000),J2042 (September 1996, March 2000, and March 2003, and J578 (February1977) for motor vehicle clearance, side marker, and identificationlamps.

SAE Standard J592, paragraph 3.1 defines a “clearance lamp” as a lamp“mounted on the permanent structure of the vehicle as near aspracticable to the upper left and right extreme edges that provide lightto the front or rear to indicate the overall width and height of thevehicle.” SAE Standard J592, paragraph 3.2 further defines a “sidemarker lamp” as a lamp that is “mounted on the permanent structure ofthe vehicle as near as practicable to the front and rear edges, thatprovide light to the side to indicate the overall length of thevehicle.” SAE Standard J592, paragraph 3.3 defines “combinationclearance and side marker lamps” as “single lamps which simultaneouslyfulfill performance requirements of clearance and side marker lamps.”SAE Standard J592, paragraph 3.4 defines an “identification lamp” as“lamps used in groups of three, in a horizontal row, that provide lightto the front or rear or both, having lamp centers that are spaced notless than 150 mm nor more than 310 mm apart, mounted on the permanentstructure as near as practicable to the vertical centerline and the topof the vehicle to identify vehicles 2032 mm or more in overall width.”Unless otherwise noted, the SAE definitions of these terms are adoptedand used herein. The lamp of the instant application is intended to beused in any or all of these applications. The various embodimentsdiscussed infra will satisfy all SAE standards for photometricrequirements as well as chromaticity.

SAE Standard J592 also specifies certain minimum and/or maximum luminousintensity requirements for vehicular lamps functioning as clearance,side marker, and identification lamps. According to the aforementionedstandards, a minimum luminous intensity must exist at various points inthe illumination zone to be in compliance. These specific photometricrequirements for clearance, side marker, and identification lamps, asset forth in SAE Standard J592, are included hereinbelow.

TABLE 1 PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS Minimum Luminous Minimum Luminous TestPointS^(1,2) Intensity (cd), Intensity (cd), Zone (in degrees) Red^(3,4)Yellow^(3,4) 1 45L-10U 0.75 1.86 45L-H 45L-10D 2 V-10U 0.75 1.86 V-H V-10D 3 45R-10U 0.75 1.86 45R-H 45R-10D Maximum luminous intensities of redclearance and identification lamps shall not exceed 18 Cd within thesolid cone angle 45L to 45R and 10U to 10D. When red clearance lamps areoptically combined with stop or turn signal lamps, the maximum appliesonly on or above horizontal. The maximum luminous intensity shall not beexceeded over any area larger than that generated by a 0.5 degree radiuswithin the solid cone angle prescribed by the test points. ²Therequirements for side markers used on vehicles less than 2032 mm wideneed only be met for inboard test points at a distance of 4.6 m from thevehicle on a vertical plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of the vehicle and located midway between the front and rear sidemarker lamps. ³When calculating zone totals, the measured value at eachtest point shall not be less than 60% of the minimum values in Table 2.⁴Combination clearance and side marker lamps shall conform with bothclearance and side marker photometric performance requirements.

TABLE 2 PHOTOMETRIC DESIGN GUIDELINES Minimum Luminous Minimum LuminousTest Points Intensity (cd), Intensity (cd), (in degrees) Red^(1,2)Yellow² 10U 45L 0.25 0.62 V 0.25 0.62 45R 0.25 0.62 H 45L 0.25 0.62 V0.25 0.62 45R 0.25 0.62 10D 45L 0.25 0.62 V 0.25 0.62 45R 0.25 0.62 ¹Themaximum design value of a lamp intended for the rear of the vehicleshould not exceed the listed design maximum over any area larger thanthat generated by 0.25 degree radius within the solid angle defined bythe test points in Table 2. ²For combined clearance and side markerlamps, both the clearance and side marker photometric design valuesshould apply.

SAE Standard J592, paragraph 6.1.7 also requires that the color of theemanating light produced by a front clearance lamp, front andintermediate side marker lamps, and front identification lamp be yellow,and that rear clearance lamps, side marker lamps, and identificationlamps shall be red, both as specified in SAE Standard J578. SAE J578,entitled “Color Specification,” sets forth the fundamental requirementsfor color, expressed as chromaticity coordinates according to the CIE(1931) standard colorimetric system. Pursuant to SAE J578, paragraphs3.1.1 and 3.1.2, respectively, the following requirements for red andyellow amber light shall apply when measured by the tristimulus orspectrophotometric methods, as are well-known in the art.

TABLE 3 RED LIGHT The color of light emitted from the device shall fallwithin the following boundaries: y = 0.33 (yellow boundary) y = 0.98 − x(purple boundary)

TABLE 4 YELLOW AMBER LIGHT The color of light emitted from the deviceshall fall within the following boundaries: y = 0.39 (red boundary) y =0.79 − 0.67x (white boundary) y = x − 0.12 (green boundary)

SAE J592 standard and SAE J578 standard can also be found at www.sae.comand are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, as isFMVSS 108,49 C.F.R. §571.108 (2000)

In addition, it is intended that the lamps disclosed herein could alsobe used on mirrors, cabs, cars, and other non-trailer applications.Moreover, the lamps can be used on other types of vehicles, includingbut limited to watercraft, motorcycles, and the like, whether or notspecific SAE or FMVSS photometric standards apply.

FIG. 1 is back view of a typical vehicle 50 in which the positioning ofa plurality of one embodiment of vehicle mini lamp 100, being used asidentification lamp assembly 60, can be seen. In the embodiment shown,there are three vehicle mini lamps 100 generally centered and along thetop of back end 55 of vehicle 50. However, this is not intended to belimiting, as provided and described in detail infra.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of one embodiment of one vehicle mini lamp100, which, in the embodiment shown, is comprised of housing 110, lens120, and circuit board 130, all generally cylindrical about axis A, aswell as LED 140, resistor 150, cable 160, cable wires 162, 164, andcable seal 170. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize,however, that multiple LEDs can be used instead of the single LED 140shown.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, housing 110 is generally cylindricalabout axis A, with two openings, top opening 111 and bottom opening 112.Bottom opening 112 allows cable 160 and cable wires 162, 164 to enterhousing 110, and top opening 111 allows the components to be assembledoutside of housing 110 before being sealed within housing 110, asdiscussed in greater detail infra. In the embodiment shown, ledge 115 isalso visible. Housing 110 is comprised of ledge 115 so that circuitboard 130 rests atop it when assembled, properly positioning the variouselements within housing 110.

In an alternate embodiment, inner surface 113 of housing 110 is taperedsuch that top opening 111 is of a greater diameter than bottom opening112. The tapering of inner surface 113 of housing 110 allows for a snugfit between circuit board 130 and housing 110 as circuit board 130 ispositioned within housing 110, creating a junction between the twocomponents.

Also visible on housing 110 is top surface 114. Top surface 114, in oneembodiment, is angled to receive corresponding bottom surface 124 oflens 120. Lens 120 is then attached to housing 110 by use of a glue,adhesive, or epoxy between bottom surface of lens 120 and top surface114 of housing 110, forming cavity 99 within housing 110. In analternate embodiment, top surface 114 of housing 110 and bottom surface124 of lens 120 are horizontally flat and secured to one another. In yetanother embodiment, the shape of top surface 114 of housing isconfigured such that lens 120 snaps into housing 110, securing lens 120to housing 110. Lens 120 and housing 110 can also be connected to oneother via high frequency welding, hot gas welding, ultrasonic welding,hot plate welding, or vibration welding. Lens 120 could also be attachedto housing 110 via a fastener such as a snap-ring, a screw, or a rivet,or both could be threaded such that lens 120 threadedly engages housing110. Glue or an 0-ring can further be used at the junction betweenhousing 110 and lens 120 to further produce a liquid and air-tightjunction.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, lens 120 is made of polycarbonateplastic, but could also be made of acrylic, glass, or any other materialthat is sufficiently durable and satisfies the requirements set forth inSAE J576 (7/91), “Plastic Materials for Use in Optical Parts Such asLenses and Reflectors of Motor Vehicle Lighting Devices.” Housing 110 isalso made of polycarbonate plastic in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2,but could also be made of acrylic or any other durable material that iscompatible with the material chosen for lens 120. The adhesive chosen toadhere lens 120 to housing 110 must be compatible with the materialschosen for lens 120 and housing 110. For example, the embodiment shownin FIG. 2 uses a polycarbonate housing and a polycarbonate lens 120.

As stated supra, lens 120 is adapted to meet with housing 110, formingcavity 99, within which the other components of vehicle mini lamp 100are situated. As can be seen in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, lens 120 hasa generally arcuate top surface 123. Top surface 123 need not bearcuate, but the shape shown in FIG. 2 aids in maintaining a low profileof vehicle mini lamp 100 when mounted to a mounting structure (notshown). In the embodiment shown, lens 120 is further comprised of lip122 so that when lens 120 is secured to housing 110, lip 122 isgenerally flush with an attachment member (not shown, but discussedinfra) or the mounting structure. In an alternate embodiment, lens 120does not include lip 122, but is still generally flush with theattachment member or surface of the mounting structure. In theembodiment in which top surface 123 of lens 120 is not arcuate, butflat, top surface 123 of housing 120 is still generally flush with theattachment member.

Also visible in FIG. 2 is circuit board 130, which, when the embodimentshown of vehicle mini lamp 100 is assembled, is positioned atop ledge115. One embodiment of circuit board 130 is made of an epoxy fiberglassmaterial, with copper clad on both top surface 132 and bottom surface134. The copper clad is etched away, leaving copper traces behind whichact as the electrical circuitry between the various electricalcomponents mounted to circuit board 130, i.e., LED 140, resistor 150,and cable wires 162 and 164, as well as any other electrical componentsthat may be added, such as circuit protection. In an alternateembodiment, circuit board 130 is a metalcord board comprised of a basemetal layer, a dielectric layer, and a copper layer. Also visible inFIG. 2 are a plurality of throughholes 135, which penetrate thethickness of circuit board 130. Throughholes 135 are plated with anelectrically conductive material, allowing electrical continuity betweenthe traces on top surface 132 and bottom surface 134 of circuit board130.

The electrical components mounted to circuit board 130 can be mounted inconventional ways, known to those of ordinary skill in the art,including, but not limited to, soldering, clinching, or using anadhesive. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, there are three componentsmounted to circuit board 130: LED 140, resistor 150, and cable wires162, 164. LED leads 144 of LED 140 penetrate the length of throughholes135 and are soldered to bottom surface 134 of circuit board 130.Similarly, cable wires 162, 164 penetrate throughholes 135 of circuitboard 130 and are soldered to top surface 132 of circuit board 130. Alsomounted to circuit board 130 is resistor 150, which is mounted to bottomsurface 134 of circuit board 130. In the embodiment shown, resistor 150is a surface-mounted resistor. Cable wires 162, 164, can alternately bemounted directly onto bottom surface 134 of circuit board 130, LED 140can be mounted directly onto top surface 132 of circuit board 130,and/or resistor 150 can be mounted to top surface 132 of circuit board130 and situated between LED 140 and circuit board 130. However,throughholes 135 or another way of providing electrical continuitybetween top surface 132 and bottom surface 134 of circuit board 130known to those of ordinary skill in the art would still be necessary inany embodiment in which all of the components are not mounted to thesame side of circuit board 130. For example, in an embodiment in whichLED 140 is mounted to top surface 132 of circuit board 130 and resistor150 and cable wires 162, 164 are mounted to bottom surface 134 ofcircuit board 130, throughholes 135 are plugged with solder which stillallows for electrical continuity between all of the electricalcomponents. In another alternate embodiment, cable wires 162, 164penetrate throughholes 135 and are mounted to top surface 132 of circuitboard 130, and LED 140 and resistor 150 are also mounted to top surface132 of circuit board 130, making electrical continuity between top andbottom surfaces 132, 134 or circuit board 130 unnecessary.

LED 140, comprised of LED leads 144 and dome 149, can also be seen inFIG. 2. LED 140 in the embodiment shown is a “Superflux” LED, well knownto those of ordinary skill in the art, but could be another commerciallyavailable LED. Although not visible from this perspective, there arefour (4) LED leads 144, which, because LED 140 is generally square,provides for a stable mount. Leads 144 are soldered to circuit board130, but could be clinched or attached using an adhesive. In analternate embodiment of vehicle mini lamp 100, a surface mounted LED isemployed, which does not have the leads, but produces vehicle mini lamp100 with a slightly shorter profile. However, use of the Superflux LED,with leads 144 creates a gap between LED 140 and circuit board 130,which helps facilitate heat dissipation and permits the potting compound(discussed infra) to fit between LED 140 and circuit board 130 for amore secure attachment.

Also visible in the embodiment of vehicle mini lamp 100 shown in FIG. 2is resistor 150 to control current to LED 140 and is mounted to bottomsurface 134 of circuit board 130. In operation, resistor 150 generatesheat. Resistor 150 is therefore mounted to bottom surface 134 of circuitboard 130 to facilitate heat dissipation. However, as included supra,resistor 150 could also be mounted to top surface 132 of circuit board130, between circuit board 130 and LED 140. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 2, resistor 150 is a 0.5 Watt surface mount, readily available.However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that otherresistors could be used, as long as they have a similarly small profile.The exact resistor will depend on the power supply and the LED bin thatis used.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show cross-sectional, side perspective views of theembodiment of the electrical components of vehicle mini lamp 100 asshown in FIG. 2, in which the electrical components have been assembled.FIG. 3A is from one side and FIG. 3B is from a perspective in whichvehicle mini lamp 100 has been turned ninety degrees (90°) about axis A.As can be appreciated, LED leads 144 penetrate through circuit board 130via throughholes 135 and are soldered to bottom surface 134 of circuitboard 130, and resistor 150 is mounted to bottom surface 134 of circuitboard 130.

Referring again to FIG. 2, cable 160, cable wires 162, 164, and cableseal 170 can all be appreciated. In the embodiment shown, cable 160 is atwo-conductor cable, comprised of cable wires 162, 164, which isinserted through bottom opening 112 of housing 110 and cable seal 170.Cable wires 162, 164 are then electrically connected to circuit board130, as discussed supra. When assembled, cable seal 170 is situatedwithin the narrow portion of the bore within housing 110. The embodimentof cable seal 170 shown in FIG. 2 is comprised of three (3) flanges 173,which aid in creating an air and water-tight seal with housing 110, anddefine the bottom surface of cavity 99 within housing 110. In theembodiment shown, cable seal 170 is made of silicone, but canalternately be made of PVC, Teflon, or any comparable material. Endportion 119 of housing 110, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, isthicker than the remainder of housing, making bottom opening 112 ofhousing 110 of a lesser diameter than the rest of the housing bore toprevent cable seal 170 from disengaging housing 110.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of one embodiment of attachmentmember 180. As used herein, the term “attachment member” refers to anyelement used to secure, permanently or non-permanently, vehicle minilamp 100 to mounting structure 190, including but not limited to agrommet, or any other rigid or flexible material. As can be seen, in theembodiment shown, attachment member 180 has three legs 181, 182, and183, and is flush with and fixedly secures the vehicle mini lamp (notshown) within the mounting structure (not shown). The use of three legs181, 182, and 183 is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.That is, any number of legs can be used that secure attachment member180 and the vehicle mini lamp to mounting structure 190. In theembodiment shown, upper surface 185 of attachment member 180 is furthercomprised of recess 187 adapted to receive, in part, the lens (also notshown) and top surface 185 is generally arcuate as will be discussedinfra. Attachment member 180 is made of nylon or another material withsimilar flexibility. Attachment member 180 secures vehicle mini lamp 100to mounting structure 190 to prevent vehicle mini lamp 100 from beingremoved once installed, i.e., theft-resistant. Attachment member 180 is,in the embodiment shown, made of nylon, but could also be made ofpolycarbonate, another thermoplastic, or another material of similarproperties and characteristics. Although not depicted in FIG. 4, vehiclemini lamp could further include a gasket between attachment member 180and mounting structure 190 to provide a water-tight seal.

In alternate embodiments of vehicle mini lamp 100, vehicle mini lamp 100is secured to mounting structure 190 by glue, a fastener, or a snap. Inan embodiment in which attachment member 180 is a grommet, the grommetfunctions the same as attachment member 180 in that it provides astructure for mounting vehicle mini lamp 100 to mounting structure 190,but does so in a more temporary way so that vehicle mini lamp 100 can beeasily removed and replaced. The grommet is typically made of PVCplastic, but can alternately be made of any material with comparableproperties.

FIG. 5 shows a top perspective view of vehicle mini lamp 100, in whichthe electrical components are assembled within housing 110 and furtherincluding attachment member 180. As can be appreciated, recess 187 inupper surface 185 of attachment member allows lens 120 to be flush withattachment member 180 when vehicle mini lamp 100 is set within aperture196 of mounting structure 190. FIG. 5 also shows housing 110, lens 120,circuit board 130, LED 140, resistor 150, cable seal 170, and attachmentmember 180. Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, uppersurface 185 of attachment member 180 is wider than aperture 196 ofmounting structure 190 and slightly arcuate so that vehicle mini lamp100 is generally flush with surface 192 of mounting structure 190(discussed in greater detail infra) into which it is set, creating a lowprofile. Also visible in the embodiment of attachment member 180 shownin FIG. 5 is side recess 186. Side recess 186 is of a length that is thesame as mounting structure 190 is thick. Also visible is attachmentmember base 188. Attachment member base 188 is of a thickness that isslightly wider than aperture 196 of mounting structure 190, so that whenvehicle mini lamp 100 is positioned within aperture 196 of mountingstructure 190, the combination of attachment member side recess 186,attachment member base 188, and upper surface 185 secures vehicle minilamp 100 within aperture 196 of mounting structure 190.

FIG. 6 shows a top perspective view of an alternate embodiment ofvehicle mini lamp 100 in which, like FIG. 5, housing 110, lens 120,circuit board 130, LED 140, resistor 150, cable seal 170, and rail canall be seen. However, FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of vehiclemini lamp 100 in which attachment member is grommet 184. Grommet 184also uses recess 186′ to secure vehicle mini lamp 100 within aperture196 of mounting structure 190, and grommet base 188′ is shapeddifferently from that of attachment member base 188 as shown in FIG. 5,but still prevents moisture from entering vehicle mini lamp 100.

Also shown in FIG. 6 is the volume in which potting compound 230 isdisposed within cavity 99 of housing 110. In one embodiment, pottingcompound 230 completely encases resistor 150, circuit board 130, thatpart of the cable wires (not shown), that are within cavity 99 and partof LED 140, fully encapsulating all of the electrical components (exceptpart of LED 140) and all of the electrically active areas. Pottingcompound 230 is also in the area between circuit board 130 and cableseal 170. However, potting compound 230 only partially encapsulates LED140, such that LED leads 144 are encapsulated, but dome 149 is notcovered by potting compound 230 as this could affect the amount of lightemitted from vehicle mini lamp 100. In an alternate embodiment, pottingcompound 230 does not encase the electrical components, but only theelectrical connections between the electrical components. Two examplesof potting compound 230 are Resin ER 1005 LV, manufactured by StarTechnology, InC.™ and a two-part potting compound which combines ResinE-285-1A with Hardener E-285-1B, which cures when exposed to UV light,also manufactured by Star Technology, Inc.™.

Potting compound 230 provides a heat sink to vehicle mini lamp 100 andwithdraws thermal energy directly away from LED 140. Potting compound230 further provides protection for the electrical components, i.e., LED140, circuit board 130, resistor 150, and the wires from vibration,fatigue, and moisture.

For the purpose of describing the method of assembling vehicle mini lamp100, FIG. 2 will again be referred to. One of ordinary skill in the artwill realize, however, that unless otherwise noted, the steps need notbe followed in any specific order and that additional steps may beadded. The addition of further steps as well as performing the steps inthe formation of vehicle mini lamp 100 in alternate orders are intendedto be within the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments.

The first step in the formation of vehicle mini lamp 100 is to attachthe electrical components to the circuit board. Leads 144 of LED 140 aresoldered or otherwise electrically connected to circuit board 130,whether to top surface 132 or first passed through throughholes 135 andthen soldered to bottom surface 134 of circuit board 130. Resistor 150is also soldered to circuit board 130. In an embodiment in whichresistor 150 is electrically connected to bottom surface 134 of circuitboard 130, resistor 150 can be electrically connected to circuit board130 either before or after LED 140 is electrically affixed to circuitboard 130. However, in an embodiment in which resistor 150 iselectrically affixed to top surface 132 of circuit board 130, resistor150 should be affixed before LED 140 is affixed for ease of assembly.Cable wires 162, 164, further comprised of cable seal 170 and cable 160(as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2) are also soldered or otherwiseelectrically connected to circuit board 130, whether directly to bottomsurface 134 or to top surface 132 after first passing throughthroughholes 135.

The electrical components, i.e. circuit board 130, LED 140, resistor150, and cable wires 162, 164, are then positioned within housing 110.In the embodiment shown, circuit board 130 is positioned to rest onledge 115 of housing 110. In an embodiment in which housing has atapered inner surface 113, circuit board 130 is positioned withinhousing 110 such that it is snugly disposed therein. Cable seal 170 isalso positioned within housing 110, but within a lower portion ofhousing 110 such that it is substantially disposed substantiallyadjacent to bottom opening 112 of housing. Cable seal 170, along withhousing 110 form cavity 99.

Potting compound 230 (not shown in FIG. 2) is then injected into cavity99 and allowed to cure. As discussed supra, only enough potting compound230 is disposed within cavity 99 to encase the electrical components andform a seal with cable seal 170, but not fully encapsulate LED 140 orthe area between LED 140 and lens 120. When allowed to cure, pottingcompound 230 encapsulates circuit board 130, resistor 150, that portionof cable wire 162, 164 between cable seal 170 and circuit board 130, allelectrical connections, and part of LED 140, including leads 144, butnot dome 149, so as not to affect the light emitted from LED 140.

Lens 120 is affixed to housing 110 via means provided supra. In anembodiment of vehicle mini lamp 100 in which top surface 185 ofattachment member 180 further has recess 187 disposed thereon,attachment member 180 is placed over and around housing 110 beforeaffixing lens 120 to housing 110 or to housing 110 and attachment member180.

Vehicle mini lamp 100 is intended to be used alone, in combination withother vehicle mini lamps 100, or in combination with other lamps ofother sorts. In addition, vehicle mini lamp 100 can emit red light,yellow-amber light, or any other color light, depending on the positionon vehicle 50. In order to achieve a desired color (i.e., red,yellow-amber, white, or other), lens 120 can be colored, LED 140 can becolored, or a combination of the two. FIG. 7 shows some of the variouspossible positions on vehicle 50 where vehicle mini lamp 100 could bepositioned: as rear identification lamp 60 (as shown in FIG. 1), as rearclearance lamps 61, as rear side marker lamps 62, as front clearancelamps 63, as front side marker lamps 64, and as intermediate side markerlamps 65. As is required by the SAE standards and federal law asprovided supra, identification lamps 60, rear clearance lamps 61, andrear side marker lamps 62 must be red, and front clearance lamps 63,front side marker lamps 64, and intermediate side marker lamps 65 mustbe yellow amber.

A single vehicle mini lamp 100 can be positioned at any particularlocation on vehicle 50 as shown in FIG. 7 or other locations, or a setof vehicle mini lamps 100 can be used to satisfy the lightingrequirements. For example, identification lamps 60 of FIG. 1 are three(3) vehicle mini lamps mounted on mounting structure 190, equally spacedapart from one another and adapted to be affixed to vehicle 50 at theposition shown in FIGS. 1 and 7.

FIG. 8A shows a top perspective view of one embodiment of mountingstructure 190, on which vehicle mini lamp 100 is mounted in a vehiclemini lamp system. Mounting structure 190 is comprised of three (3)apertures 196, each adapted to receive one vehicle mini lamp 100. Onealternate embodiment of mounting structure 190 has five (5) apertures196 and corresponding vehicle mini lamps 100, equally spaced apart, asis required for identification lamp 60 in Canada. Still anotherembodiment of mounting structure 190 also has five (5) apertures 196 andcorresponding vehicle mini lamps 100, but instead of having five (5)apertures 196 and five (5) corresponding vehicle mini lamps 100functioning as identification lamp 60, mounting structure 190 is theentire width of vehicle 50, with three (3) apertures 196 andcorresponding vehicle mini lamps 100 functioning as identification lamp60 and the two (2) outermost apertures 196 and corresponding vehiclemini lamps 100 functioning as rear clearance lamps 61. Mountingstructure 190 can be made of any material which provides adequatedurability and corrosion-resistance and is structurally sound. Forexample, mounting structure 190 can be made of metal (e.g., aluminum orA36 steel), plastic, wood, or fiberglass.

FIG. 8B shows a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of mountingstructure 190 with one (1) vehicle mini lamp 100 affixed theretoaccording to one embodiment. Lens 120, attachment member 180, housing110, cable 160, and cable wires 162, 164 of vehicle mini lamp 100 canall be appreciated, as well as aperture 196 of mounting structure 190.As can be seen, recess 186 in attachment member 180 corresponds with thethickness of mounting structure 190 so that there is a tight sealedjunction between vehicle mini lamp 100 and mounting structure 190.

For the other lamps on vehicle 50, other types of mounting structures190 may be required. For example, an adapter plate or mounting bracketdesigned for a flat or slightly curved surface may be necessary.

In one embodiment of the vehicle mini lamp system, each vehicle minilamp 100 is individually connected to a power source. In an alternateembodiment, a splitter assembly is used so that all vehicle mini lamps100 within the same system are electrically connected in parallel. FIG.9 shows one embodiment of splitter assembly 300. As can be seen, thisembodiment of splitter assembly 300 is comprised of connector wire 310,two (2) splices 330 and 331, three (3) cables 320, 321, and 322, andsplitter housing 340. Each cable 320, 321, and 322 is comprised of cablewire 162, 164 (as shown and described in detail supra) and connectorwire 310 is further comprised of two-position connector 315 whichconnects splitter assembly 300 to a power source (not shown). Withinsplitter housing 340, splice 330 directs current from cable wire 162 ofconnector wire 310 to cable wires 162 of cables 320, 321, and 322, andsplice 331 directs current from cable wire 164 of connector wire 310 tocable wires 164 of cables 320, 321, and 322. Splitter housing 340 ismade of PVC, but can be made of any material capable of providingsimilar sealing qualities.

Splitter housing 340 is water and air-tight so that the electricalconnections between cable wires 162, 164, splices 330, 331, cables 320,321, and 322, and connector cable 310 is prevented from corroding. Eachcable 320, 321, and 322 is then connected to one corresponding vehiclemini lamp (not shown) and encases cable wires 162, 164 their entirelength between splitter housing 340 and the housing (not shown) of thevehicle mini lamp to prevent corrosion of cable wires 162, 164 withincables 320, 321, and 322. In this embodiment of splitter assembly 300,any corrosion that will occur will be at two-position connector 315,rather than within the vehicle mini lamp or splitter assembly 300. Inthe event that corrosion occurs at two-position connector 315, connectorcable 310 and two-position connector 315 can be replaced, rather thanhaving to replace cables 320, 321, or 322 as well as the correspondingvehicle mini lamp. In the alternative, two-position connector 315 alonecan be severed from connector cable 310 and another two-positionconnector be spliced to connector cable 310. Although FIG. 9 shows therightmost cable as being connector cable 310 and the remaining threebeing cables 320, 321, and 322, it should be understood that this is notintended to be limiting and that any of the cables can function as theconnector cable with the remaining three being connected to acorresponding vehicle mini lamp.

Although, for convenience, the vehicle mini lamp has been describedprimarily with reference to several specific embodiments, it will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the lamp and thecomponents thereof can be modified without departing from the spirit andscope of the following claims.

1. A vehicle lamp comprising: a lamp housing having a top end, body withan interior portion and a lens portion covering said top end, saidhousing disposed within an opening in a surface such that said lensportion is substantially flush with the surface and said body ispositioned behind said surface; circuitry disposed within said interiorportion of the housing; and at least one light source being electricallyconnected to said circuitry.
 2. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, whereinsaid surface is a wall of a vehicle body.
 3. The vehicle lamp of claim1, wherein said surface is a portion of a mounting structure which fitswithin a wall of a vehicle body.
 4. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, whereinsaid lens is selected from a group consisting of: a red lens, emitting agenerally red light from said vehicle lamp, a yellow-amber lens,emitting a generally yellow-amber light from said vehicle lamp, or aclear lens and said at least one light source emits red light, emittingred light from said vehicle lamp, or said at least one light sourceemits yellow-amber light, emitting yellow-amber light from said vehiclelamp.
 5. The vehicle lamp of claim 1 further comprising a circuit boardhaving said circuitry mounted thereon.
 6. The vehicle lamp of claim 5,wherein said light source is mounted to a first side of said circuitboard and a resistor is mounted to said circuit board at a second sideof said circuit board.
 7. The vehicle lamp of claim 6, wherein saidresistor regulates current within said lamp assembly.
 8. The vehiclelamp of claim 5, wherein said circuit board is further comprised of aplurality of throughholes, each of said plurality of throughholes beingplated with an electrically conductive material to allow electricalcontinuity between said top surface and said bottom surface, whereinsaid electrically conductive material is a solder.
 9. The vehicle lampof claim 5, wherein said housing includes an inner surface being taperedor including a ledge, said tapered inner surface or said ledge of saidhousing being adapted to receive and support said circuit board.
 10. Thevehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said housing is made of a materialselected from a group consisting of polycarbonate plastic and acrylic,and wherein said lens is made of a material selected from a groupconsisting of polycarbonate plastic, acrylic, and glass.
 11. The vehiclelamp of claim 1, wherein said vehicle lamp is further comprised of apotting compound for filling at least a portion of said housing.
 12. Thevehicle lamp of claim 11, wherein said potting compound is furtherdisposed within said sealed chamber, encapsulating said resistor, saidcircuit board, at least part of said first cable wire and said secondcable wire at said third electrical connection and said fourthelectrical connection, respectively, and at least partially encapsulatessaid at least one LED.
 13. The vehicle lamp of claim 11, wherein saidpotting compound provides a heat sink to said lamp assembly.
 14. Thevehicle lamp of claim 1, further comprising an attachment memberdisposed substantially around said housing between said housing and saidvehicle surface, said attachment member having an upper surface whichcreates a flush meeting between said lens and said upper surface of theattachment member, wherein said upper rim surface of said attachmentmember is arcuate and said lens is generally arcuate to form a generallyflush surface.
 15. The vehicle lamp of claim 14, wherein said lensincludes a lip and said attachment member includes a recess adapted toreceive said lip of said lens and create said flush meetingtherebetween.
 16. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said vehicle lampis adapted for use as a clearance lamp, a side marker lamp, or anidentification lamp.
 17. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said lightsource comprises at least one light emitting diode.
 18. The vehicle lampof claim 1, wherein said vehicle lamp is one of a plurality of vehiclelamps mounted to said mounting structure and interconnected to one lightsource via a splitter assembly, said splitter assembly comprised of aconnector wire connected to a power source, said connector wirecomprised of a third cable wire and a fourth cable wire, a splitterhousing, a plurality of cables, each of said plurality of cablescontaining said first cable wire and said second cable wire, and aplurality of splices within said housing, wherein a first of saidplurality of splices connects said third cable wire of said connectorwire to said first cable wire of each of said plurality of cables and asecond of said plurality of splices connects said fourth cable wire ofsaid connector wire to said second cable wire of each of said pluralityof cables, such that each of said plurality of vehicle lamps operatesparallel to one another.